Even the idea in the Wizard of Oz, that there are both “good” and “bad” witches, was channeled through an occultist by the name of Frank Baum (1851-1919).

Baum, who authored the Wizard of Oz, and converted it into a stage play before it became one of the most popular movies of all time, claimed, “There is a strong tendency in modern novelists toward introducing some vein of mysticism or occultism into their writings.”
The Annotated Wizard of Oz

Baum, an occultist who belonged to Helena Blavatsky’s Theosophical Society (Blavatsky, like Aleister Crowley, claimed that Satan was good), used his writings to promote Theosophical views of magic and the occult. Baum claimed that he had channeled the Wizard of Oz, “It was pure inspiration.... It came to me right out of the blue. I think that sometimes the Great Author has a message to get across and He has to use the instrument at hand. I happened to be that medium, and I believe the magic key was given me to open the doors to sympathy and understanding, joy, peace and happiness.” (Michael Patrick Hearn edition; The Annotated Wizard of Oz, New York: Clarkson N. Potter, 1973)

Baum’s channeled message doesn’t only teach children that there are “good” witches, but the message of Glinda (the “good” witch) to Dorothy was that she didn’t have to look outside herself for answers. “You've always had the power…” Glinda reveals to Dorothy. This, my friend, is basically the same message that is conveyed throughout the occult-based movies of our day, en masse, i.e., “We don’t need to turn to God; we already have the power within. We need only tap into this latent power through meditation, incantations, contemplative prayer, etc.”

Baum’s channeled message doesn’t only teach children that there are “good” witches, but the message of Glinda (the “good” witch) to Dorothy was that she didn’t have to look outside herself for answers. “You've always had the power…” Glinda reveals to Dorothy.

So it tells us not to vilify an entire group of people (in this case a fictional group) since there are both good and bad members of the group and it tells us that we can solve our own problems. Already this occultism thing sounds much more reasonable than fundamentalist Christianity.

You're not a cursed worm who relies on the whim of the almighty to continue your pitiful existence, won through supplication and constant begging for forgiveness for a transgression committed thousands of years ago by someone else?

The Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz. The fundies have a problem with that, too. I don't understand why they believe that ad hominem attacks like this have any validity-- and this is assuming that Mr. Schimmel is not lying through his teeth: a questionable assumption in itself. You would think the fundies would go after Baum for being a socialist or something, but no it's straight to the occult with them. Aye aye aye...